Bahnt’s Comic Watch: The Walking Dead originals

Comic books have broken into the mainstream, with films and TV shows being constantly adapted from them. With comics no longer for a niche audience, it makes sense to know which comics are worth reading. Welcome to Comic Watch – your personal guide to the world of comics.

“The Walking Dead” started its third season not too long ago, and it continues to deliver high quality entertainment week after week. But while people are enamored with the TV series, some may be surprised to know the show is based on an ongoing comic book.

Like the show, the comic follows Officer Rick Grimes and a band of survivors through the zombie apocalypse. The comics follow the same basic direction of the show in terms of story, with the survivors moving from a camp outside Atlanta to Hershel’s farm to the prison. However, several characters present in the comic don’t appear in the show, and the show includes exclusive characters of its own.

The popular Dixon brothers Merle and Daryl were made just for television, and they do not appear at any point in the comic. Likewise, the comics contain a unique character named Tyreese who becomes one of Rick’s closest friends. Rick and Tyreese’s relationship is interesting not only because of their trust in each other, but because as a fan of the show it’s amazing that this entire dynamic was skipped over when the series made the jump to TV.

While there are other similarities and differences, it’s important to realize that the show and the comic are both extremely well-made. Any fan of “The Walking Dead” will find the comic just as captivating as the show, thanks to focusing on character interaction first and zombies later. “The Walking Dead” is great no matter what version it’s in.